Rocky Mountain Estates: It’s your lucky day

If you are a snowmobiler, equestrian, fisherman and/or a water sports aficionado and happen to be browsing the real estate market, keep reading because this is about to be your lucky day.

Rocky Mountain Estates, also known as the Colorado Anglers’ Club, offers the equivalent of a gold mine to anyone looking for immediate access to a wide variety of outdoor activities.

National Forest lands are less than 2-miles away, making it a breeze to horseback ride, dirt bike, snowmobile, or just about any other activity you might enjoy on the trails.

You can legally snowmobile up County Road 4, where over 100 miles of groomed snowmobile trails await. Plus you can practically throw a stone into Lake Granby from these home sites. Boat lovers, be prepared to drool–there’s a boat launch just one mile away, and of course, we can’t forget that Shadow Mountain Lake and Grand Lake are close by as well.

To add even more accolades to its location, Rocky Mountain National Park is just six minutes away, and Trail Ridge Road, the highest paved road in North America, is open for most of the summer months, allowing a scenic drive straight to Estes Park and the rest of the Front Range.

Like to golf? Grand Lake Golf Course is just ten minutes away and during the winter months, this golf course turns into the only Nordic center in the Grand Lake area. Need a gargantuan garage to fit all of your boats and other motor toys? Not if you live here. There’s a storage facility just down the street, making it even easier to add the newest model to your snowmobile or boat collection.

The Perfect Location?

Drum roll, please.

This development sits on County Road 4, across from Dillie Docks, and it’s only a mile from the Stillwater Boat Launch, just to the south on Highway 34. These home sites have underground utilities brought to the property lines already (electricity, telephone, natural gas, cable TV) and the Three Lakes Water and Sanitation District operates the community sewer system. Some of the available lots already have a well, which helps to streamline the construction process for any new builders.

Originally platted in the ’50s by Jack Digor, the property was left as a wooded hillside for decades, with only roaming yaks, cows, horses, buffalo and horses as its residents. A robust neighborhood now, with fishing never too far from anybody’s minds with the roads aptly named after fish, i.e. Rainbow Drive and Mackinaw Road, it’s no surprise that this gorgeous neighborhood has been a hit.

Ralph Chiarella and Morris King, real estate development partners, acquired this development in 2005. Adding to the appeal of the land itself was the fact that it was already platted, making it easier to put in the roads and bring the lots to market. In 2006, they brought in the utilities and then released the lots for sale ” of the 108 lots within phase one, they have hit the 80 percent sold mark.

“Other than the obvious aesthetic reasons, I believe their popularity stems from their affordability,” Ralph said. “Buying a lot in the 50k or 60k range allows someone to build a house in the $300k ballpark, and in a resort community like this, that’s extremely reasonable.”

Two well-established, local builders have made this neighborhood a home for their families, and other locals have invested here as well. There are about 24 homes that are either complete or under construction thus far. An investment group bought 40 lots about two years ago, and they spearheaded 14 of the homes currently under construction. Though some of these homes are unfinished and may be wrestling with foreclosure, most of the neighborhood is unaffected.

“We’re not going anywhere,” said Jim Barnett with Broomfield’s ADS Builders, Inc. when asked about one of the incomplete homes. “We are absolutely committed to finishing these homes and preserving the serenity and charm of this neighborhood.”

“This neighborhood has been such a success and we, the primary investors, believe in it so much that we are even offering ‘Seller Carry’ financial options to qualified builders and prospective homebuyers,” said Ralph Chiarella. Though his primary residence is in Evergreen, he has been bringing his family to the Grand Lake area, their ‘home away from home’, for the last 15 years. It’s a true testament to a development’s success when the people behind it back it with not just their hearts, but their pocketbooks as well.

Ready to spring a little cash of your own?

Mountain Lake Properties, Century 21 and RE/MAX are currently offering a few spectacular homes and sites for sale.

For instance, there’s a full size log home with a double garage for just $349,000 on Lot 1, Block 6. This home, featuring a multi-colored pine finish, really captures views of the Continental Divide and Lake Granby from the great room and the wraparound deck. This 2,000 plus square foot home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, with a fireplace in the great room. This listing is represented by Mountain Lake Properties.

If you’re interested in one of the prime view lots, where Lake Granby and the Continental Divide come into play, there are still some available. For instance, Lot 14, Block 7 is considered to be the ‘best view’ home site in Rocky Mountain Estates; this one is also listed with Mountain Lake Properties.

It sits high, overlooking the rest of the community to the southeast, and the views to the northwest consist of the peaceful acreage that leads toward the National Forest lands. With a well already drilled, this home site is $129,900.

Annie Ginsberg with Re/Max Resorts of Grand County has a great corner home listed with lake and mountain views on Block 1, Lot 8; this four bedroom, two bathroom, 1967 square foot home with a 600 square foot unfinished basement is listed for $405,000.

Century 21 Winter Park Real Estate along with Century 21 Grand Lake Real Estate has the predominant market share in this neighborhood, having successfully closed 44 of these properties. Brenda Freeman and Mike Ray have teamed up as the listing agents for 18 of the lots, and in addition to the view lots they’re offering, one of their listings to note is a beautiful four bedroom, two bathroom home on Block 3, Lot 3, that also has a lease option attached. This spacious 1,950 square foot home features stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, granite counters, tile baths, plus an 856 square foot unfinished basement. Watching the sun rise over Lake Granby and the Indian Peak Range from this deck would be a definite perk.